The colour of Conté's Sanguine pencils in Paris is unique. With a sharpened lead, the line is precise, and the colour is transparent if the work is lightly sketched. With a half-ground lead, the opacity is accentuated, also depending on the pressure applied.
Crayon Sanguine reveals the texture of the paper.
Crayon Pierre Noire can be used on all surfaces such as sketch pads, kraft paper and linen canvas, and is recommended for nudes, landscapes and quick sketches. With a chiselled lead, the treatment is nervous and precise. With half-ground lead, the work is more spontaneous and free.
White is the essential complement to all the other pencils, its primary function being to suggest the rendering of light: softening the values of a nude, giving the axis of light on a volume.
The colour of Crayon Sépia evokes burnt umber. With a sharpened lead: you'll get a precise, delicate result. With a half-sharpened lead: the rendering becomes more and more opaque according to the pressure exerted on the pencil.
It is recommended for quick sketches, nudes, portraits and landscapes. It can be used to shade the most contrasting parts of a body. For portraits, it can underline and enhance the values of a face. For landscapes, it can instantly bring out the colour of a tree trunk or the front of a house.
It can be used minimally on its own, but its miscibility means that it can be used with sanguine, white, charcoal and Pierre Noire pencils for a more elaborate result.
The pencils can be sharpened with a knife or cutter.
For more advice, go to the Tutorials tab.